Plate clamp for plate cylinder of printing presses



Dec. 16, 1952' H. w. FAEBER 2,621,592

PLATE CLAMP FOR PLATE CYLINDER OF PRINTING PRESSES' Filed Dec. 26, 1947 s Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. HARRY W P25551 Dec. 16, 1952 H. w. FAEBER PLATE CLAMP FOR PLATE CYLINDER OF PRINTING PRESSES s Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Dec. 26, 1947 INVENTOR. hh/PHY W fit-BER BY WMY uy 22 ATTUE/YEW Patented Dec. 16, .1952

UN"ITED""STA TES PATENT "OFFICE PLATE LA PF R PLATE CYLINDER F "'PRINTING PRESSES Harry W. Faeber; Larchmont, N. Y., "assignor to Time; .Inc., NewjYork, N. Y., a corporation of New'York Application December 26, 1947, Serial No.'.793,'778

V s Glaims. (o1. 101-4151) The present invention relates to mechanisms for securing printing platestothe plate cylinders of. printing. pressesand embodies more specifically an-improved mechanism by means of'which bothends of a flexible printing. plate are-effectively clamped inpositionupon the plate cylinder upon movement of theiplate into its finaliprintingposition on the cylinder.

A further object'of. thepresent invention is to provide a plate clamp of f the above "character, wherein a common clamp mechanism isprovided forisecuring bothends of. the printing plate to the plate cylinder, the mechanism-beingrendered operative uponvmovement of the printing plate i t t printing position on t t yu l5 cross-section. The channel-is*alsoi'formed so Yet another object of the invention is to prothat the peTiDhery Oflihe plate y n I4: 011 vide a device of the, above character wherein across through-m6 periphery Ofthiircle the printing plate is-elamped-effectively to the forming the Outl ne OI" he channel-i :In this printing cy1inder with t ends v juxtaposed fashion theperipheral surface of the :cylinder position and with all-printing portions of the is ihtelluptedplate Supported. efiecfively m printingposition' Within the channel 15 an elongated shaft l6 Further objects f the invention W111; be lsprovided; the shaft being-formed with-:aicirparent as it isdescribed in greater detail in concular periphery the center of which'hes Within motion withthe accompanying drawings, where the shaft l6, andalso with a circular peripheral in 1 portion I8, the center of :w'hich is the-axis'of Figure 1 is a plan View f a plawcynnder f a cylinder M, when the shaft 11B isin theyposition printing machine; Showing theplate clamp there illustrated in Figure 3. The periphery l 8 of. shaft on in position portions broken away forms a, Continuation the peto illustrate the details of the cylinder and clampnphery the Plate cylinder m mechanism; The cylinder 14 is; formed: with a lip i9-'which Figure 2 is a view in end'elevation' showing the adapted tQ-leceivehne end of i p cylinder f Figure ing plate Zilpas illustrated in Figure 3. The'fixed Figure 3 is' a view in transverse section, taken the P with tum-hack on line of Figure 1, and looking in the diner? flange 2 in (Figures 3 and 7) provid'ed with notches tion'ofthe arrows; 22. Pins 23-areformed'inthe underside of the Figure 4 is an enlarged d t fl vi of thevpart lip l9, and the notches zlregister' with such pins shown in Figure 3 and-illustrating the manner in Order that the Printing pla e maybe properly in which the printing plateis' preliminarily intered" laterally with "respec pl serted .over .theplate cylinder-prior to' clamping cylihder- I a it into printing position; 40 v The shaft i6 is provided witha lip'24fhaving Figure 5 is a View similar to Figure-'showing movement of the plate'clamp toward its clamping position and wherein the clamping mechanism begins to engage both ends of-the-plate simultaneously;

Figure 6 is an enlarged view of the clamp mechanism shown in Figure 3, andillustrating the position of the clamp when it is locked in normal :pzintirigposition; and

of'Figure 4, and showing the' fixed end of the printing plate 'as it is mounted over the m'ating lipof the plate cylinder.

Referring to the above'gdrawings,the side frames of a printing machine are illustrated at land ll, as being provided with .bearin'gsl2 withinwhich the shaft l3 of a plate cylinder I4 is received. The plate cylinder may be solid or may be fabricated from aplurality of elements, these details of the cylinderform'ing 'no part of the'presentinvention.

At one point on the peripheryof the plate cylinder I4 (Figure 3) the cylinder is'for'med'w-ith an elongated channel lfiiwhich'is of 'aicircular register-I pins 2 5' projecting therefrom. f The" movable end of the printing plate is formed with a reversely extending flange 2 6 havingnotche's 21 therein'which rgis'terwith the pins 25in a iiianner similar to that "described in connection with pins 23 and n'otche's 22.

' The ends of -shaftl6 extend outwardly to form stubi shafts l6; (F gures 1;'- -and 2), [these stub shaftshaving levers 28 keyed thereto. The, ends of the levers '28 are provided---- with flat surfaces 29 which are adapted to engage flat plates 30 secured to the shaft l3. Clamp screws 3! engage the upper surface of the clamps 28 and secure them in the clamping position, as illustrated in Figures 1 and 2. This clamping position is the position also illustrated in Figures 3 and 6.

Within the lock shaft it an elongated groove 32 is formed. The groove 32 receives a bracket 33 which is secured thereto by means of one or more screws 34, the bracket being provided with seating faces 35 and 36, plate 33 carries an elongated block 37 of rubber, neoprene, or other suitable yielding non-metallic material, the block 3'! being vulcanized or otherwise secured to the faces 35 and 38. The block is also formed with a nose plate 38 which is vulcanized or suitably secured thereto, the plate 38 having a curved cam surface 39 formed in one side thereof, and a relatively straight plate surface 40 formed in the other side thereof.

It is important that the neoprene block 31 be shaped and supported in such fashion that pressure exerted upon the nose plate 38 by both ends of the printing plate 20 will set up direct compression forces within the block 31. Thus, it will be seen that when the clamp is in the operative position illustrated in Figures 3 and 6, the plate 49 engages the flange 2B and sets up compressive forces in the block 31 between plate 40 and face 35. The curved cam surface 39 which engages flange 2| also sets up compressive forces in the block 31 between the plate 39 and the face 36.

Instead of one continuous piece, nose plate 38 may consist of several sections, which will insure more uniform gripping of the printing plate along the cylinder due to the free alignment of the individual sections.

In operation, it will be seen that the fixed end of the plate 20 with its flange 2| is slipped over the nose 19 with the notches 22 engaging the pins 23. The other end of the plate, with its flange 26, is then slipped over the nose 24 when the clamp mechanism is in the position shown in Figure 4, the notches 21 being received over the pins 25. In this position the plate 48 engages the flange 26 and sets up compression in the block 31 between the plate 49 and the surface 35, as illustrated in Figure 4. The levers 28 are then moved into position as illustrated in Figure 2. During this movement the curved cam surface 39 engages the flange 2i of the printing plate (as illustrated in Figure and then continued movement of the levers into the final clamping position causes the curved cam plate to ride beneath flange 2| and set up compression forces between plate 39 and surface 36. The neoprene block thus effectively clamps both ends of the printing plate simultaneously in the printing position, as illustrated in Figure 6. In this position the nose plate 38 serves substantially to fill the space between the adjacent ends of the printing plate. In fact, the structure may be formed to provide any desired space existing between the adjacent ends of the printing plate when clamped in printing position on the plate cylinder.

It will be observed that the operation of clamping the ends of the cylinder is accomplished automatically upon movement of the shaft l6 and levers 28 into the operative position illustrated in Figures 1, 2, and 3, and the plate is effectively held in printing position at all times while the clamp mechanism is thus secured.

While the invention has been described with specific reference to the structure shown in the accompanying drawings, it is not to be limited save as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A plate cylinder for printing presses comprising a cylinder adapted to be journaled in a press frame, first means on the cylinder to receive one end of a flexible printing plate thereon, a shaft journaled in the cylinder adjacent the first receiving means for rotation from an open position to a closed, operating position, a groove in the shaft forming a ledge for receiving the other end of the printing plate thereover, resilient means on the shaft to clamp said other end of the printing plate against said ledge and to clamp said one end of the printing plate against the first receiving means While the shaft is in a position intermediate the open and closed positions, and means to rotate the shaft to its closed position to apply tension to the plate and secure it in printing position around the cylinder.

2. A plate cylinder for printing presses comprising a cylinder adapted to be journaled in a press frame, first means on the cylinder to receive one end of a flexible printing plate thereon, a shaft journaled in the cylinder adjacent the first receiving means for rotation from an open position to a closed, operating position, a groove in the shaft forming a ledge for receiving the other end of the printing plate thereover, a resilient block member in said groove to clamp said other end of the printing plate against said ledge and to clamp said one end of the printing plate against the first receiving means while the shaft is in a position intermediate the open and closed positions, and means to rotate the shaft to its closed position to apply tension to the plate and secure it in printing position around the cylinder.

3. A plate cylinder for printing presses comprising a cylinder adapted to be journaled in a press frame, means on the cylinder forming a first ledge to receive one end of a flexible printing plate, a shaft journaled in the cylinder adjacent the ledge for rotation from an open position to a closed, operating position, a second ledge on the shaft to receive the other end of the printing plate, resilient means on the shaft to clamp said other end of the printing plate against said second ledge and to clamp said one end of the printing plate against the said first ledge while the shaft is in a position intermediate the open and closed positions, and means to rotate the shaft to its closed position to apply tension'to the plate and secure it in printing position around the cylinder.

4. A plate cylinder for printing presses comprising a cylinder adapted to be journaled in a press frame, means on the cylinder forming a first ledge to receive one end of a flexible printing plate, a, shaft journaled in the cylinder adjacent the ledge for rotation from an open position to a closed, operatin position, a groove in the shaft forming a second ledge for receiving the other end of the printing plate, a resilient block member in said groove, said block member having a metallic face plate and urging one portion of the face plate toward said second ledge to clamp said other end of the printing plate against said second ledge and to urge the other portion of the face plate toward said first ledge to clamp said one end of the printing plate against the first ledge while the shaft is in a position intermediate the open and closed positions, and means 5 to rotate the shaft to its closed position to apply tension to the plate and secure it in printing position around the cylinder.

5. A plate cylinder as defined in claim 1 having plate registering means on said first plate receiving means.

' 6. A plate cylinder as defined in claim I having plate registering means on the ledge for receiving the other end of the printing plate.

'7. A plate cylinder as defined in claim 3 having plate registering means on at least one of said first and second ledges.

8. A plate cylinder as defined in claim 4 having plate registering means on at least one of said first and second ledges.

HARRY W. FAEBER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 10 Number Name Date 1,016,511 Mitchell Feb. 6, 1912 2,157,621 Neilson May 9, 1939 2,186,764 Meisel Jan. 9, 1940 

